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Mel Gibson domestic violence investigation began with formal complaint from former girlfriend

July 9, 2010 | 8:20
am

More information is emerging about the domestic violence
investigation involving actor Mel Gibson.

The current probe officially began with a Monday interview of “an alleged victim” that is now
confirmed as Oksana Grigorieva, 40, the Russian model/pianist who in October gave
birth to the couple’s first child. (Gibson has
seven children with ex-wife Robyn Moore.) Gibson and Grigorieva have been battling in court over custody of their
daughter.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department was informally aware of rumors and reports
about an incident “but we don’t do anything until it’s brought to our
attention in a formal way,” said department spokesman Steve Whitmore.
“On Monday, she made allegations and they were specific.”

Whitmore said he could not
release details because the investigation was ongoing and could take up
to a month. Detectives, he said, wanted to conduct additional
interviews, including some with people who are out of town. The
department departed from its policy against identifying alleged domestic violence victims because of the public nature of the allegations, Whitmore said.

Internet chatter has raged about an alleged Jan. 6 incident at
Gibson’s Malibu home involving the now-uncoupled pair. RadarOnline.com
reported this week that it had “exclusively” obtained tapes recorded by
Grigorieva in which Gibson allegedly is heard saying that his
then-girlfriend “deserved it” after he hit her in the face twice while
she held their daughter Lucia.

Attempts to reach Gibson’s spokesman
on Thursday were not successful.

That same incident already has led to embarrassment for
Gibson, 54. In the first purported revelation from that tape, Gibson is
reportedly heard using a derogatory term for African Americans, which
has resulted in condemnations of the actor.

In 2006, when stopped for drunk driving, Gibson unleashed a
profanity-laced tirade that included insulting references to Jews,
according to authorities.

Gibson later apologized for his actions, and a court expunged the
actor’s conviction after he fulfilled probation terms that included
attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, appearing in public-service
announcements and paying $1,300 in fines.

Gibson’s career has seemed on an upswing, with the recent
release of the thriller “Edge of Darkness” and the announcement of a
Viking-themed movie project with Leonardo DiCaprio.

But Grigorieva hinted at trouble ahead in a recent Moscow news
conference when she declined to give a reason for the couple’s breakup. “You will find out everything quite soon,” she said.